They Gave Up Everything — The Untold Story of Coco Gauff’s Parents Who Turned Their Lives Upside-Down So A Six-Year-Old Could Become a Global Tennis Icon!

It’s a crisp March day in Delray Beach, Florida, but the world would soon know her as Coco Gauff — a name that still turns heads and commands respect. What many don’t see behind the Grand Slam trophies, the thunderous serves, and the roaring crowds, is a story rooted in sacrifice, belief, and relentless faith. This is the untold story of her parents: the silent heroes who traded comfort for chalk-dust courts, and normalcy for a dream that belonged to their daughter.

🏡 From Comfortable Lives to Uncertain Sacrifices

Coco was born into a family with athletic roots: her father, Corey Gauff, played college basketball at Georgia State University before becoming a healthcare executive; her mother, Candi Gauff (née Odom), was a track-and-field athlete at Florida State University who later worked as a teacher. Wikipedia+2Town & Country+2

But fate had something extraordinary in store. When young Coco started showing early signs of athleticism — skipping the crawling stage, running circuits around cousins, seemingly driven by a rhythm no playground could contain — her parents knew this was more than just childhood energy. Women’s Health+1

At age six, Coco picked up a tennis racquet. By seven, the family uprooted from Atlanta and moved back to Delray Beach to provide “real” training opportunities. With that came giant sacrifices: Candi quit teaching to homeschool Coco, and Corey left behind his stable corporate job to become her full-time coach. Yahoo+2Sportskeeda+2

The decision was more than financial — it was life rewired around one dream. They gave up their “dream house,” their stable income, and the security of middle-class life. For a while, the Gauff family lived with Coco’s grandmother. Sportskeeda+2Town & Country+2

🎾 Training Secrets, Strategy & Early Discipline

Once the move was made, the transformation was swift and relentless. At just eight years old, Coco began serious training at the New Generation Tennis Academy under coach Gerard Loglo. Wikipedia+1

But the Gauff strategy was never only about tennis-lessons. Corey didn’t just hire coaches — he became deeply involved. He studied the approach of legends, especially the way Venus Williams and Serena Williams had been mentored by their father. He recreated backyard tennis drills when it rained — sofas lined up “like a net,” kids bouncing balls back and forth, simulating baseline rallies. The Playoffs+2The Guardian Nigeria+2

Meanwhile, Candi provided structure off the court: she homeschooled Coco, supervised discipline, nutrition, schooling, rest — everything that made sure her training didn’t compromise her childhood. Yahoo+2Wikipedia+2

Even as a child, Coco wasn’t treated like a regular kid picking up a racquet after school. She was molded — molded by parents who believed not just in her talent, but in the possibility that she could redefine women’s tennis for a new generation.

💔 The Price They Paid — And Why It Was Worth It

Those weren’t easy years. The family went from a stable two-income household to “pretty much none.” For a long time, there was no corporate paycheck, no guaranteed salary, no cubicle or conventional retirement plan. The Guardian+2Tennis World USA+2

Social life for Coco faded. Playdates with friends replaced by drills, rest replaced by early-morning serves, afternoons at school replaced by baseline sprints. For siblings Codey and Cameron — her younger brothers — there were sacrifices too. Fewer family vacations, less time with their parents, a childhood that rapidly centered around tennis. Yahoo+1

Her parents faced criticism. “What are you doing?” some asked. “You’re pulling your daughter out of school, putting all your savings into a dream she might never fulfill.” But Candi had answered them once: “We’re going to support her. And others can be here for it — or not.” Their belief never wavered. Sportskeeda+1

🌍 From Hardship to Stardom: A Teen Queen is Crowned

The gamble paid off — and then some. At eight, Coco won the “Little Mo” national tournament for eight-and-under players. The Guardian Nigeria+2Wikipedia+2

Within a few years, she was training at elite academies, her talent honed by specialists. Her rise was meteoric. By 15, she was defeating her childhood idol Venus Williams at Wimbledon — a moment that triggered global shock and awe. Jagranjosh.com+2The Guardian Nigeria+2

All those early sacrifices, the uncertain nights, the cramped living quarters, the endless shuttle rides to courts — they were no longer “what-ifs.” They became the foundation for a superstar.

🧠 The Family Strategy That Never Stopped

What stands out about the Gauff family is their long game. They didn’t chase overnight glory — they built a system.

• They recognized early that talent alone wouldn’t be enough. They built discipline, sacrifice, and structure around it.

• They made bold, uncomfortable decisions when most would cling to security.

• They invested in not just coaching, but character — balancing intense training with schooling, support, emotional closeness.

• They kept family close: siblings, grandparents, collective support, moral grounding.

And they didn’t waver even when it looked like everything was being lost.

❤️ A Gratitude That Runs Deep

Years later, after Grand Slam victories, the trophies and headlines, Coco hasn’t forgotten. In interviews — including after her win at the 2025 French Open — she thanked her parents, acknowledging that she “couldn’t have done it without them.” Good Morning America+2Sportskeeda+2

She knows she doesn’t just carry her own dreams — she carries the faith, the sweat, the sacrifice, and the risk her parents took.

Because without that rough, unseen road — the uprooting, the homeschooling, the sleepless nights, the broken plans — there might never have been Grand Slam nights, roaring crowds, or a global superstar in sneakers and racquet.

They didn’t just raise a tennis player. They raised a legend. A girl who at sixteen — or even earlier — was already poised to take over the world. A girl crafted not just from talent, but from love, belief, sacrifice, and a family’s audacity to dream.